What the saddest people in the world look like

by Lauren Sheard, HOPE Burundi Program Manager

Last month, a new report hit the proverbial newsstands, ranking the countries of the world in order of happiness. My native United States ranked 13th, but my new adoptive home of Burundi came in dead last. Or, for the glass-half-full people, first in sadness.

How could Burundi be the saddest country in the world? Even lower than war-torn Syria? I have only lived here a couple of years, but my image of Burundi is not one particularly marked by downcast faces or depression.

It’s true: Burundi has the lowest GDP per capita in the world. It’s a place where political parties are perpetually in conflict at the expense of the general public; people have to go home at nightfall to avoid getting caught in gunfire or grenade explosions. Incredible poverty and despair is personified in beggars on every street corner in downtown Bujumbura.

I know that Burundi.

So it’s understandable that Burundi ranks low in some of the factors that make up the “happiness quotient.” I have heard from others (and observed firsthand) that Burundians can lack vision and optimism to see the potential that lies within their own country. But I have seen far more redeeming qualities in beautiful Burundi that give me hope for its future.

Burundi is where guests will overwhelm you with visits if you’re sick or in the hospital. Where groups of men or women take time to laugh together. Where people find an abundance of reasons to praise God and laugh together. Where HOPE savings group members are excited and proud to save even 50 cents a month, giving generously out of what they have.

HOPE Intl

As Christ’s followers responding to His great love, HOPE International seeks physical, social, spiritual, and personal restoration in places of brokenness. Through Christ-centered economic development, we empower men and women to strengthen their families, build their businesses, and unleash their dreams.